Gun violence in Texas: How bad will it have to get before we see change?

Deputy Almendarez’s widow speaks with FOX 26 after Texas senate pass law to combat catalytic converter thefts

**EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous report** It’s been a year since Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez was gunned down by criminals in the act of stealing his truck’s catalytic converter. A day after lawmakers in the Texas senate passed ‘Get Tough’ legislation, the brave deputy spoke exclusively to FOX 26.

HOUSTON - The following story is an opinion piece.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed the Deputy Darren Almendarez Act into law, increasing criminal penalties for catalytic converter thieves. This new law, which took effect the same day it was signed came a year after the Harris County deputy was gunned down by criminals he confronted for stealing his own catalytic converter off his truck while he and his wife were grocery shopping.

Harris County says goodbye to Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Almendarez

After more than 20 years of service, Deputy Almendarez’s life was cut short when he confronted 3 men police say were trying to steal his catalytic converter. He was remembered as a family man and hero.

While Deputy Almendarez's death was an inexplicable tragedy, this was happening at a time when catalytic converter thefts were dominating headlines. One report said Texas had the second most thefts in the country but only until a law enforcement official was killed did it seem like things started to get the ball of change rolling.

With the number of fatalities from mass shootings, one would think changes would have been implemented years ago, but the bodies keep piling up.

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I understand change takes time, and both issues are separate, but the sentiment remains the same. It seemed like Deputy Almendarez inadvertently became the catalyst for propelling change when it came to catalytic converter thefts, so I humbly, albeit exhaustingly, ask the question: who has to die before the subject of gun violence is taken seriously in our state?

Obviously, no one will want to volunteer their own life or heaven forbid, their children to be a martyr for gun violence, yet so many parents have inextricably had to.

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Flor Almendarez’s tearful and heartbreaking testimony before lawmakers brought her late husband’s eponymous bill before the governor certainly did not fall on deaf ears, but I’m willing to bet she’d trade her own life before having to push for change and relive the heartbreak.

The same goes for families who lost children in Uvalde or Santa Fe, who are still waiting 5 years later for justice. One child’s death in a mass shooting should have been enough. Instead, a foundation of adolescent bodies continues to pile up to the point where now we are considering using Artificial Intelligence to protect them in schools.

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An argument could be made before we count the number of days passing until another tragedy that things "could have been worse." I ask, how much worse are we willing to let it get?